This invention relates to snow plows, and in particular to an attachment for a snow plow blade at the end thereof to permit accumulation of snow at the blade and inhibit lateral displacement of snow from the blade.
A typical angle-type snow plow is composed of a vertically-oriented snow plow blade and a supporting and adjusting mechanism for attaching the blade to a vehicle. Appropriate adjustment of the blade relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle causes snow to be laterally displaced from the blade, preventing accumulation of snow during the plowing operation.
It is often desirable, particularly when plowing parking lots or any other location where vehicles are present, to remove the snow without permitting lateral displacement of the snow from the blade. If the snow is allowed to accumulate next to a vehicle, it is often "plowed in", requiring a time-consuming and laborious hand-shoveling task to extract the vehicle from the snow plowed about it.
Various devices have been developed for use in conjunction with a snow plow blade for retaining plowed snow. Auxiliary side gates and similar devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,763,944; 2,988,831; 3,055,126; 3,373,515; 3,407,519; 3,422,552; 4,145,825; 4,208,812 and 4,446,639. While the devices of these patents are positionable to inhibit the lateral flow of snow from the snow plow blade, the devices themselves are complex, and are usually moved into operating position by hydraulic or other means, which are subject to failure during the normal cold temperatures and harsh handling experienced by a snow plow.